The Prosecutor's Path
by Moonlight Shining
Summary: * "You know I can't do it... I can't change who I am. I can't throw away everything I've been until today." "I believe you can." Neither Phoenix Wright, nor Franziska von Karma herself, believe that she can ever change. Miles Edgeworth does.
1. Icy Reunion

**-Chapter 1: Icy Reunion-**

February 10 Inner Temple

Training Hall

* Click * click* click * click *

Two turns to the right, three to the left, one to the right…

She tugged on the lock but it remained sealed.

Two turns to the right, three to the left, two to the right…

This time, she barely had to touch it before it fell down on the floor, joining the three others locks she and Iris had already removed. She gave a little sigh of relief- Just one more lock, only one and it would be over.

She rubbed her swollen eyes, stifling a yaw even though there was no one around to hear it. She reached for the thermos, abandoned there by that foolish fool of a coffee-addict and took a gulp.

"_I figured that was the least I could do, filly, given that you're working for me…" _

She had snapped at him for even suggesting that she might do something _for _him, reminding him, while she was at it, that the only reason she was there in the first place was herself.

However, he had merely smiled at her, that infuriating smile of his, before shoving the thermos into her hands.

The coffee went down her throat, bringing her back to the reality of the freezing, deserted cavern. It had long since gotten cold, but she drank it all the same, counting on caffeine to keep her from dozing off.

The room suddenly twisted and spun and she had to brace herself against the wall to prevent herself from collapsing.

She couldn't feel her legs anymore, numb from hours of being kneeled on the stone floor of the temple. Suppressing a shiver, she brought her attention back to the gate and the last trick lock.

Her leather gloved hand, stiffened from the cold, fumbled with the magatama-shaped knob before she finally managed to seize it between her thumb and forefinger.

She began to turn it, mumbling under her breath to keep herself awake.

"One to the right, one to the left, one to the right…"

Why had the police insisted that Sister Bikini undergo questioning again?

"Two to the right, one to the left, one to the right…"

As annoying and talkative as the woman might be, she had been company.

"Three to the right, one to the left, one to the right…"

She had whipped Scruffy, threatened to cut his pay, whipped him more, but the detective had maintained that they needed the head nun back in the main hall.

"One to the right, two to the left, one to the right…"

She glanced longingly at the heap of mattresses and blankets by the wall, originally intended for the supervising nun to use.

"One to the right…"

Even the icy stones of the Inner Temple's floor looked inviting…

Three to the left…

She blinked a few times but her vision blurred all the same.

One to the…

Her eyelids were so heavy, they felt like rocks.

"I hope we're not napping on the job…" Said a wry voice behind her.

Her eyes flew open. She was slumped forward against the gate, her forehead resting against the metal bars.

She turned her head toward the newcomer and, upon recognizing him, let out a growl of frustration.

"You!"

He raised an eyebrow.

"It's nice to see you too, Franziska." He said calmly.

"What do you want, Miles Edgeworth?"

"I had thought you might like a helpful hand…" He smirked. "My mistake. I'll get straight to the point then- Are you nearly done?"

"Yes." She answered dryly.

"Good."

She turned her back on him, her way to make him understand that she considered this conversation to be over. She gazed upon the sole lock, trying to force her sleep-deprived brain to remember the last combination she had tried.

At the same time, she was straining her ears for footsteps, breathing, any noise that might indicate that he was leaving.

"You look terrible." Said the voice near her left ear.

She gave a nervous start.

He must have approached quietly, for he was now kneeling beside her, a little too close for her comfort.

She realized with growing uneasiness that his face was mere inches from hers, his piercing eyes scrutinizing her features, taking in the ugly rings under her eyes, her wan complexion…

Under normal circumstances, she would have punished him for his daring, but she had long since dropped her whip on the floor, somewhere she couldn't remember.

"So do you." She retorted, much too late. She was feeling too exhausted to be nasty.

"No, I'm serious. Have you even slept since yesterday?"

"That's none of your business." She snapped, all the while knowing she didn't sound convincing.

It wasn't in the nature of a von Karma to wallow in self-pity. However tired she might be, she still had a deadline to meet.

"You should at least let me help you." He argued.

She gave in, out of weariness. It wasn't her who had asked for his help after all…

"Fine."

She quickly taught him the basics of the unlocking and, together, they tackled the remaining puzzle.

They had been working for about an hour, when he noticed that she was shaking.

"Your hands…"

She had been getting gradually worse over the minutes, and the cold, combined with the lack of sleep, was slowly robbing her of her consciousness.

"You're trembling."

Her pride prompted her into denying it but her protests, made unintelligible by the chatter of her teeth, never got to him.

She saw a blur of magenta move through the fog that suddenly blinded her.

Then, blankets enveloped her… the warmth of someone else's arms…

She was drifting away.

* * *

Date: ? ? ? Time: ? ? ?

Location: ? ? ?

She is being held in someone's arms. That person is tenderly cradling her against their chest, like she is something precious and fragile, someone worth to be loved and adored.

Her first thought is that she is a baby again, and that it is her mother that is there with her, whispering sweet nothings to her while rocking her to sleep…

Then, she suddenly remembers that she has never known her mother…

_No. This baby doesn't have a mother…_

No.

She is four years old, and her father has just given her the beating of her life… Some silly, childish lie she has told him, and she knows that she is a bad girl and that she deserves to be punished…

So, she cries alone in the dark, and then he arrives, the orphan boy, the stranger they have taken in their home. And he consoles her. Tells her he loves her.

He hugs her, when she has offered him nothing but contemptuous pity.

_Miles…_

_

* * *

_February 10

Inner Temple

Training Hall

The last remnant of the dream found her waking up with his name on her lips. The illusion immediately began to fade away, leaving her in a troubled state.

She was shaken by the feelings the dream had brought up in her, feelings she would rather have forgotten. Her mind was atrociously blurry.

So much in fact, that she couldn't seem to remember where she was.

She was lying on a bed that wasn't her own and she could feel a cool breeze across her face. Several blankets were tightly wrapped around her body, forming a warm cocoon that shielded her from the surrounding cold.

Suddenly it all came back to her- Hazakura Temple… the trick locks…

She had passed out from exhaustion and him- Miles Edgeworth- had lain her down on this mattress.

Carefully, she peeked through her lashes, only to find a pair of gray eyes looking back at hers.

"You're finally awake."

She didn't answer but looked around the room. The door of the Inner Temple was open and the training hall was now bathed in bright sunlight.

She suddenly sat up.

"The gate!"

"You've been sleeping for hours." He explained. "I had all the time in the world to open it."

He didn't even try to hide the smugness in his voice, and Franziska immediately lost any urge she might have had to thank him.

All that remained was the bitter taste of failure. The familiar taste of yet another defeat by his hand.

But, then, what had she been expecting? He was just being Miles Edgeworth.

So full of himself, so… _imperfect_, and yet so effortless in surpassing her.

She bit back the sharp retort on the tip of her tongue. There were so many things she would have wanted to say to him. Too many pointless accusations…

Finally, she settled upon ignoring the obvious provocation. She just wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Where is Maya Fey?" She asked in a frosty voice.

"She wasn't in here."

For a brief lapse of time, she struggled not to let her surprise show, but eventually failed.

"What do you mean, Miles Edgeworth, she wasn't in there?"

A twinge of worry for the girl's safety flashed across her mind but she quickly brushed it away. A von Karma ought to be cool and collected, in all circumstances.

"The Sacred Cavern was empty but for one person… And, it was no one else but the defendant."

* * *

February 10

Eagle Mountain

Franziska von Karma's bad mood had worsened a little more. Not only had she been denied the right to crush this defense attorney, but she had now been deprived of her role as leader of the investigation, by no one else but Mr. Miles Edgeworth himself.

In the time it had taken for her to regain consciousness, the investigation had been completed and Sister Iris, escorted by Detective Gumshoe, was already on her way to the district court.

Franziska and Miles were left with nothing to do but go back to Los Angeles.

On their walk to the parking lot, situated lower on the side of Eagle Mountain, they remained silent, both of them lost in their own, but similar, thoughts. She could tell exactly what was on his mind, for they were plagued with the same questions.

_Why was the defendant (?) in the Sacred Cavern? Which one of the two women was the real Iris? What could be the place of hiding of Maya Fey?_

They were turning the problem inside out, elaborating theories that they didn't share with the other.

They were now only a few yards above the snowy clearing that served as a car park and Franziska could already make out the dark shape of her Volkswagen next to Miles's flashy red sport car. That was when it happened.

Franziska was walking down the steep path, a few steps ahead of him. She had unconsciously quickened her pace, tempted by the prospect of warmth and comfort.

Unfortunately, her carelessness caused her to slip on a patch of snow. She gave a frightened shriek as the ground disappeared from under her feet.

She reached out, catching hold of a nearby bush, but the brittle branch snapped in her hand. She closed her eyes, preparing to smash into the rocky ground, some twenty feet below.

Suddenly he was on her.

Strong arms caught her from behind, pulling her up and against his chest.

The whole incident had lasted less than three seconds.

"Oh Gott…"

"I'll take that as a 'Thank you'." The familiar voice purred in her ear.


	2. Melting The Ice

**A.N: You have my sincere apology for the delay. This author is both busy and slow... But I promise I won't abandon this fic.  
I made a few changes, guys. I decided on merging the two previous (too short!) chapters together into a longer one and gave it a proper title. You might want to check it on your way to this one, brand new chapter. Hope it's not too confusing...  
**

* * *

**-****Chapter 2: Melting the Ice-**

February 10

Eagle Mountain

Car Park

Without really knowing how, Franziska found herself pressed against Miles. She could feel his breath on her cheek, his warmth against her back. Surprisingly enough, it didn't feel that bad. He… smelled nice. Like tea and bergamot, and some refined aroma…

She actually felt good- In a strangely dizzy way... But good all the same. Her normally pale cheeks were flushed, but not as much from the cold as from unexplainable excitement.

It took her a few seconds to grasp the situation. And when she did, her blood went from hot to icy. She was taking pleasure in being in his arms, in… _breathing his scent. _An utter nonsense.

Nothing should be pleasurable about that. After all, not only was it humiliating, it was also inappropriate by the von Karma standards.

Franziska did not like unnecessary physical contacts. She usually avoided them as much as possible, preferring to express her feelings through her beloved whip… If ever she needed to express feelings. But then, why was her foolish heart racing?

She stumbled away from him, her walk somewhat unsteady. She was feeling a little weak in the knee, a sensation she put down to the shock of her almost-fall.

"I must say, I find you to be uncharacteristically clumsy, today." He commented in a slightly amused tone. He looked much too self-satisfied to her taste.

Many times, during the rest of the descent, she felt his hands brush against her waist, his fingers linger on her shoulder. He was ready to grab her, in case she foolishly skidded again. Knowing him, and his twisted way of thinking, he probably felt responsible for her. He considered her too weak to manage things on her own.

_Weak…_

Her father's last words still rang in her ears. One more time, the unexpected lump in her throat was accompanied by an overwhelming sense of grief. It had been less than a week since- She hadn't talked of it to anyone, not even to Miles. Miles, who would have deserved to know, more than anyone else…

She justified herself by thinking it was unnecessary anyway. He would find out soon enough… No, knowing Miles Edgeworth- He already knew all about it.

American media were relishing in announcing the execution of the famed Manfred von Karma, genius prosecutor and murderer of Gregory Edgeworth.

His photo all over the newspapers… The family name dragged through the mud…

Did she even want any association with the man anymore?

Looking up, she caught Miles Edgeworth staring at her, and instantly knew he had been studying her the whole time. He was trying to get into her mind somehow, to pry into her most inner thoughts, the mere idea of which irritated her to no end. _Such a nosey brat…Always have been and always will be_.

"Looks like you bit a little more than you could chew, today, Ms. von Karma…" He commented, but this time his tone was devoid of the usual sarcasm.

He reached up and cupped her face, as if it was a normal thing to do. In fact, those things were things he used to do…once upon a time when they were children.

She slapped his hand away. He looked a little taken aback but didn't comment on her sudden roughness. She looked daggers at him.

"How dare you touch me without my permission?"

"I was concerned about you."

"No. You were not." She said firmly, and there was a note of finality in her voice that left no room for discussion. The tension in the air was almost palpable as she turned away and strode to her car, head held high. As she opened the driver's door, he suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me!"

She spun around and wrenched her arm from his grasp, both angered and shocked by his incredible audacity.

"I'm just caring for my sister."

Raging hurt flashed in her eyes. He may have tried to appease her by saying that, but his words were only fuel to the fury that had threatened to take over, ever since they had met against last year.

They had reached a semblance of a truce. She had come back on his request, found it in her heart to forgive him for lying to her. But nothing had changed, and nothing would ever change.

_You had better prepare your__self, for our battle begins now._

Her grip on her whip tightened to the point of pain, the blood throbbing in her fingertips. She gritted her teeth.

"I am not your sister."

He was visibly embarrassed.

"Those feelings you have for me…"

"Oh, don't misrepresent yourself. I feel nothing for you but hatred! But I forgot- I also pity you, Miles Edgeworth!"

"It is no use to try and deceive me when you yourself don't believe in your words. Please refrain from telling such transparent lies. You do not hate me."

She scoffed. "You would like to believe that. In truth I have thousands of reasons to hate you!"

"What would be those reasons, Franziska von Karma?"

An electric silence fell upon the snowy clearing, the peace of the mountain only troubled by the singing of a sparrow. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Why do you even ask? As if you cared…"

"But I do."

"Liar!"

Her voice shot out, high-pitched and uncontrolled. It didn't take a genius to see that she was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. She herself could feel the last bit of self-control she possessed slipping from her grasp.

"If you had cared… y-you wouldn't have left me! Do you know how long I've waited? Do you have any idea?"

She was seething with rage. Her whip whistled through the air, hitting the snow at his feet… Once… Twice…

Still, she couldn't bring herself to touch him. In the state she was in, hitting him would mean dealing a blow she wouldn't control. She might end up hurting him seriously, and she couldn't take the chance of that happening.

Unexpectedly, it was that thought that helped her to calm down. When she spoke again, anger had deserted her voice, leaving just the shadow of her sorrow behind.

"I'll tell you, then, Miles Edgeworth- Five years. Five years without even a scrape of news. Papa used to say that you had forgotten me..."

* * *

"I'll write to you. I promise."He said solemnly.

The blue-haired girl looked up in his eyes, pacified for once. Goodbyes had always affected her strangely, especially when they concerned her adoptive brother.

She had missed him those last few months and that impromptu visit to him, no matter how terrible his first case had turned out to be, had been a real treat for the usually lonely girl.

"You had better or I will fly back here and whip the living daylight out of you!"

"Franziska, we are leaving."

"I'm coming right away, Papa!"

She turned and grinned at the older man one last time.

"You'll see one day, when I'm a prosecutor. I'll come back and see you! And this time we'll see who the true heir to the name is!"

The thirteen-years old added proudly. It was her very personal way of saying that she still admired him and cared about him, though she would never stoop to admit it directly.

He bowed courteously.

"Goodbye, Franziska von Karma."

* * *

She had waited for months, waited for a phone call, an email, a letter that would never come. When she had understood that she would never see him again, she had cried all the tears she could spare.

Rousing herself from the past, she looked straight at the man who had betrayed her.

"_Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses Death."_ She quoted acidly, but even so, even as she tossed the insult at him, she couldn't hide the bitterness in her voice.

"This was the only answer I got to my letters. And what an answer it was!"

She flinched when she saw the flash of hurt on his face just before he smoothed out his expression. Still, that didn't stop her. She was past caring and she twisted the knife in deeper.

"You are such a coward, Miles." She said coldly.

"I never abandoned you, Franziska." Came the reply.

She gazed deep into the honest eyes of the man that stood before her, offering her the truth that would free her. He needn't say more. She hadn't heard of Miles Edgeworth during five long years. She now knew that her father had seen to it.

She frowned.

"But that doesn't change anything. When _he_ disappeared from our lives... when I thought I could finally get to see you again, you still ran away. You preferred to run and hide rather than facing your failures... rather than facing me. For that I cannot forgive you. Even when you finally came back, you weren't the same. Inside myself, I thought that my little brother had died. That was then that I finally saw it… You ceased to be my brother the day you walked away from me. You're nothing but a stranger to me."

She was panting, breathless from having talked so much. He, on the other hand, was just as calm as usual. Stony, emotionless, just like he had been back then… in the terminal in Los Angeles.

She hated him.

"So, that was all that was about."

The red of shame crept up her cheeks. She had ended up confessing… all those things she had kept bottled up for so long. All those things, he must never have known. The damages were irreversible.

She stood there with rage in her heart, humiliation and hurt all at once, knowing that her dream of being his equal would never come true.

"You finally said it..." He said gravely, and suddenly, she understood.

He had been expecting this all along. Her secret was no secret, and he knew her too well to ignore what was going on in that secluded heart of hers. Because, she did have a heart after all, and it was clear to her now that he had pushed her into admitting everything, all of this in the hope that maybe she could begin to forgive him.

He took the few steps that separated them and she had to stop herself from recoiling.

A few apprehensive seconds passed by, during which she desperately tried to figure out what was happening to her. Her distraught mind registered the proximity, the determined expression on his face. She suddenly wondered if he was going to raise hand on her.

What she didn't expect was for him to reach out and wrap her into a protective embrace. Her first impulse was to push him away.

_How dare you? After all you've put me through…_

"You are wrong, Franziska. You do not hate me. All those things you did, your letters, you chasing after me after I left you behind all those years… You did it for the exact opposite reason."

"You moron…"

But she didn't protest. Instead, she buried her face into his chest, and for once, she gladly let herself be imperfect.

Franziska von Karma hated Miles Edgeworth. When it came to him, everything was always so complicated. It seemed that every time they met, a new crack appeared in the steel mask she had so carefully put on.


End file.
